[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa *** Official Match Thread ***

[Dick Head]

Albion v Villa

PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Saturday 13th February 2021
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Referee: Darren England
Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Peter Kirkup
Fourth Official: Graham Scott
VAR: Martin Atkinson
Additional VAR: Darren Cann
​

TEAM NEWS

Adam Webster is a fitness doubt for Brighton because of the ankle injury he sustained against Burnley last weekend.

Davy Propper has recovered from a groin problem and is likely to return to the matchday squad.

Aston Villa have no new fitness concerns, with defender Kortney Hause and long-term absentee Wesley the only players ruled out.

January signing Morgan Sanson awaits his full debut for the club and Douglas Luiz will be hoping for a recall.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• 
  [*=left]Brighton are attempting to complete a league double over Aston Villa for the first time.
  [*=left]Albion's solitary home victory against Villa in the past eight attempts in all competitions was by 1-0 in the top flight at the Goldstone Ground in December 1980 (D4, L3).

Albion

• 
  [*=left]A Brighton win on Saturday would give them 28 points, their highest tally after 24 top-flight games since 1981-82.
  [*=left]The Seagulls have equalled the club Premier League record of five successive matches without defeat (W3, D2).
  [*=left]They can remain unbeaten in six successive top-flight fixtures for the first time since a club record run of eight from October to November 1981.
  [*=left]Albion haven't won consecutive home league games since November 2019.
  [*=left]Brighton can match the club top-flight record of three home clean sheets in a row, set in 1979.
  [*=left]Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has conceded a league goal every 98 minutes on average, a rate only bettered by Ederson and Edouard Mendy among the regular starters this season.

Villa

• 
  [*=left]Villa have earned 11 Premier League wins in a season for the first time in a decade.
  [*=left]They have kept 10 clean sheets in those 11 victories, with the exception being a 7-2 dismantling of Liverpool.
  [*=left]Dean Smith's side have only taken one point from the other nine matches in which they've conceded.
  [*=left]The three goals conceded by Villa in the opening 30 minutes of their league games is the joint-best record in the division this season, along with Manchester City.
  [*=left]Jack Grealish has scored four goals in his past five appearances against Brighton in all competitions.

Graham Potter's Aston Villa Press Conference

 

[sydney]

we're do 'em...!

 

[DavePage]

We are good, I have dropped Grealish and Watkins and Martinez from my fantasy team.... So come on guys don’t make me look stupid..........................................................again, please

 

[sydney]

We are good, I have dropped Grealish and Watkins and Martinez from my fantasy team.... So come on guys don’t make me look stupid..........................................................again, please

for **** sake man , that is a cardinal sin ......

 

[DavePage]

for **** sake man , that is a cardinal sin ......

so now there will be a plethora of bedwetter after my neck, the same bedwetters that wanted Potter out but now want him to stay incase England want him lol
WE need to kick arse, only given them real reasons for free kicks......or the refs and VAR need to man up and be honest. We will win....opps done it again, when the head and heart say the same thing, wrongly maybe, who knows
I had us Champions over Newcastle, but lets hopeful embellished Reds tomorrow.
Imagine that if we have someone sent off tomorrow, Ban him lol

 

[sydney]

so now there will be a plethora of bedwetter after my neck, the same bedwetters that wanted Potter out but now want him to stay incase England want him lol
WE need to kick arse, only given them real reasons for free kicks......or the refs and VAR need to man up and be honest. We will win....opps done it again, when the head and heart say the same thing, wrongly maybe, who knows
I had us Champions over Newcastle, but lets hopeful embellished Reds tomorrow.
Imagine that if we have someone sent off tomorrow, Ban him lol

with the way my dt goes if i put martinez , grealish and mcginn in we the good guys win 5-0 and both the latter get straight reds ....seems to be the way...

 

[Perfidious Albion]

C'mon Albion ! As the song says "We can be Heroes" by trouncing these Villa'ns.
Somebody sit on Grealish and we will be fine.

 

[vagabond]

Albion [emoji123]

 

[Coldeanseagull]

C'mon Albion ! As the song says "We can be Heroes" by trouncing these Villa'ns.
Somebody sit on Grealish and we will be fine.

Hopefully not when he's driving, can't afford any more injuries

 

[Dick Head]

so now there will be a plethora of bedwetter after my neck, the same bedwetters that wanted Potter out but now want him to stay incase England want him lol
WE need to kick arse, only given them real reasons for free kicks......or the refs and VAR need to man up and be honest. We will win....opps done it again, when the head and heart say the same thing, wrongly maybe, who knows
I had us Champions over Newcastle, but lets hopeful embellished Reds tomorrow.
Imagine that if we have someone sent off tomorrow, Ban him lol

These are a good side.

 

[Napper]

Proper fit again . Let’s hope if he figures then we will catch his 1/30 good game .

Can win this

Point be alright though

 

[VAL1850]

First double of the season, bring it on 2-1

 

[portlock seagull]

C'mon Albion ! As the song says "We can be Heroes" by trouncing these Villa'ns.
Somebody sit on Grealish and we will be fine.

Key to the match. In days of yore, Jimmy Case or the like would have ‘introduced themselves’ early in the game

 

[Swansman]

With Solly & Tariq chances would have been great... now I'm quite worried about Targett / Grealish and Cash / Traore. Cash is the best right back in England and Targett is pretty good in attack and with March/Lamptey injured they can go forward a lot more than otherwise.

 

[Beach Hut]

So excited

 

[Birdie Boy]

With Solly & Tariq chances would have been great... now I'm quite worried about Targett / Grealish and Cash / Traore. Cash is the best right back in England and Targett is pretty good in attack and with March/Lamptey injured they can go forward a lot more than otherwise.

Nothing wrong with Veltman on the right and put Darbownik on the left, his natural position. Stop grealish playing and we do them.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Nothing wrong with Veltman on the right and put Darbownik on the left, his natural position. Stop grealish playing and we do them.

Smith would have seen what Dyche did to us last week in the second half. Veltman & Burn were pushed back toward our goal with a high press on the flanks which seemed to pen us into our own half, then along with Groß & Biss being knackered and Ale Mac getting elbows elbows, it was back to the latter days of Hughton having to deal with constant pressure.

Karbo was picking up the ball and running with it against Leicester, he reminded me of Lamptey a bit. It’s very difficult to pin back a player like him with pace and skill, I’d love to see him LWB instead of Burn. As you say, Veltman will have to deal with Grealish.

 

[Birdie Boy]

Smith would have seen what Dyche did to us last week in the second half. Veltman & Burn were pushed back toward our goal with a high press on the flanks which seemed to pen us into our own half, then along with Groß & Biss being knackered and Ale Mac getting elbows elbows, it was back to the latter days of Hughton having to deal with constant pressure.

Karbo was picking up the ball and running with it against Leicester, he reminded me of Lamptey a bit. It’s very difficult to pin back a player like him with pace and skill, I’d love to see him LWB instead of Burn. As you say, Veltman will have to deal with Grealish.

I thought the same regarding Darbownik and Lamptey. I also agree about Burnley targeting Burn, I would do the same. Potter has put out plenty of surprise teams this season, hopefully this will be another.

 

[wunt be druv]

Always going to be tricky this one,the biggest challenge is going to be Villa's interpretation of social distancing by going down like nine-pins every time a Brighton player goes within 2 meters of them, keep sock boy quiet and take our chances and hopefully 3 points and start looking up the table instead of over our shoulders at the relegation zone.Fingers crossed to do the double over them.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Smith would have seen what Dyche did to us last week in the second half. Veltman & Burn were pushed back toward our goal with a high press on the flanks which seemed to pen us into our own half, then along with Groß & Biss being knackered and Ale Mac getting elbows elbows, it was back to the latter days of Hughton having to deal with constant pressure.

Karbo was picking up the ball and running with it against Leicester, he reminded me of Lamptey a bit. It’s very difficult to pin back a player like him with pace and skill, I’d love to see him LWB instead of Burn. As you say, Veltman will have to deal with Grealish.

A classic 4-4-2 actually does look a good way to play us, as they can send everything wide and double-up on the wings. Without overlap on the flanks we then get matched up in midfield and forwards need to drop a little deeper. Villa do play 4 at the back, but don't have the classic wide men, they're more of a 4-3-3. But certainly expect Cash and Targett to overlap and cause problems. We need good possession in the centre and pull them narrow